Your Past 2: Fortune's Child
by Eugena
Summary: Your Past is Better than Your Future #2: Fortune's Child: Rose must choose who she loves best. Are all Doctors really the same Time Lord?
1. The Library

Disclaimer: Dr Who and related characters are owned by BBC.

**Doctor Who:**

**Your Past is Better than Your Future**

_#2: Fortune's Child_

_Rose must choose who she loves best. Are all Doctors really the same Time Lord?_

**Fortune's Child**

By Eugena

Rated: M

**Chapter One:**

**The Library**

_An implied sequel to "The Living Rose," set between the episodes "Girl in the Fireplace (a.k.a. why everyone who does hates Ten)" and "Age of Steel."_

Mickey had been avoiding him since he came back. Normally, he wouldn't care, but now Mickey was his only insight to Rose. He hadn't talked much to Rose since Reinette's death. When he had, he noted the dark circles beneath her eyes.

Nine had become his new companion. Their constant arguments between his ears gave new meaning to arguing with oneself and provided him some comfort, until today when Nine still said nothing. He searched for him, but found Eight instead. Even he didn't look too happy.

The TARDIS became quiet. He hadn't felt this silence since the Time Lords died. He felt them die again.

He turned away from his path, and nearly stuck his head on a door that just appeared. The TARDIS had changed the rooms around again, but he recognized this one. It was the library he last used in his Eighth life while he and Charley were in the other universe. It contained archaic Time Lord history, nothing of interest anymore. The books in here were outdated, even by Time Lord standards.

He opened up the door, but instead of inhaling musty air, he inhaled the scent of a well-used room.

He looked around the room, wondering who might have been their since his last visit. His fingers skimmed the spines of many books, until his way Rose sitting in a chair in the corner.

He cursed the TARDIS for not telling him she was here. Of all places in the living ship, she had no right to be here.

He crept up to her, noting her still form and dried tears on her cheeks. He couldn't tell what book she had been reading, so he reached out to take it from her. As his fingers brushed past hers, he felt her cool skin.

He flipped through the chapter, then through the entire book.

_How to Terminate a Natural Gallifreyan Pregnancy_


	2. Inner Conflict

Disclaimers, etc.: see chapter one.

**Doctor Who:**

**Your Past is Better than Your Future**

_#2: Fortune's Child_

_Rose must choose who she loves best. Are all Doctors really the same Time Lord?_

**Fortune's Child**

By Eugena

**Chapter Two:**

**Inner Conflict**

A headache exploded within him. A cacophony of voices filled his ears. Nine swore so much at him that he could not make out his words.

"You're a real idiot."

He turned to see Eight standing beside him. It had to be an illusion. _Too American_, Ten commented to himself.

"Would you prefer I said it in French?"

His eyes returned to the book. He had dropped it, yet the book was suspended in air.

"Ten the Idiot," Eight said, sounding a bit like Nine. "I should have committed permanent suicide."

"Logical thing to do," smirked Seven, his arm on Eight's shoulder.

"_I'm seeing more of them,"_ thought Ten.

"And all the time I fought the Valeyard, he said he came to avenge his Bad Wolf,*" said Six, looking at him from across the room. "I guess now we know why."

Six shook his finger accusingly at him. Five appeared beside him. "I've never been that good at relationships, but you've really screwed up big time."

Four appeared mere inches from his face. "What would Romana say?"

"Enough!" shouted Ten, throwing up his hands. "What the bloody hell is going on."

"_I'm_ what's going on," said Nine, fading in next to Six. He walked slowly towards Ten, a tiger going for the kill. "You're trying to cope with the fact that you've just lost the best thing in our lives. Rose was my whole world, my everything. But she was your nothing."

The other selves parted to make way for Nine.

"Couldn't love Romana enough," said Four. "Wasn't _proper_ for a Time Lord."

"Yet you gave yourself to a French whore," commented Eight. "No hesitation. I loved many people in my lifetime, but I was never _in love_ with any. I kept looking for The Wolf. The one who sung to me.** The one who held my hand –."

"As I regenerated," said Nine, now standing next to Eight. "I've stopped time before," Nine said, referring to the time he took rose to The End of the Earth. "I've done it again. Now clean up your mess, or the Valeyard's coming for you."

**oOo**

_A/N: This chapter focused on the other doctors' reactions to Ten's actions. I refer to my other stories as follows:_

_* refers to The Religion of Bad Wolf I and The Final Revolution (future parts not yet posted)_

_** refers to "The Wolf's Song"_


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